Handcuffs of Harmony
by Shadowkitty22
Summary: Rachel resorts to drastic measures in order to save a lifelong friendship between her boyfriend and the person that is supposed to be his best friend.


**A/N:** So I found this totally cute picture of Rachel, Puck and Finn that was just screaming at me to write a little something about it and so I did. I guess you would consider the story to be AU as it's not really set during any time period of the canon and most definitely does not take place during the episode in which the picture was taken (Born This Way ep) and the fact that I've paired Finn and Santana together because I felt like it.

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><p>Rachel groans in frustration as she watches her little Princess Peach avatar fly right off the race course due to yet another one of the banana peels that her boyfriend, Noah, has left on the track. She thinks it literally looks like a banana tree exploded on the screen with how many of the yellow peels she sees. Tossing the controller down on the bed she gripes, "Stop doing that, Noah!"<p>

Puck, eyes glued to the screen as he works intently on getting Mario to the finish line before Bowser, asks, "Doing what?"

The petite brunette just stares at him, even though he isn't paying attention to her at the moment. "Seriously? Is it really necessary for you to literally litter the race course with banana peels? You know I'm no good at dodging them."

Finally crossing the finish line in first place he lets out a triumphant "Yes!" before tossing his controller as well and looking over at her. "Well that's why you gotta keep playing, Babe. To get better. And you gotta learn to anticipate them so you can move out of the way ahead of time."

Rachel just sighs. "That's all well and good, Noah, but we both know that really isn't the problem."

He stares at her and chuckles. "Yeah it is, Rach. You suck at this game."

"Well pardon me for not having years of experience playing this game with you," she says righteously. "Unlike _someone_ _else_ we know."

"No. No way am I playing with him ever again," he huffs out, lower lip in a slight pout.

She just rolls her eyes at her boyfriend's ridiculous antics and says, "You're going to have to talk to him eventually, Noah."

"Not gonna happen," Puck tells her as he picks up their controllers and then switches the tv to a different input so they can watch his favorite show.

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><p>Rachel squeals as the large, round, orange ball flies in her direction and she throws up her hands to protect herself instead of trying to catch it. "Finn!"<p>

The lanky teenager has a sheepish look in his face as he says, "Sorry, Rach. I guess I should've warned you that I was tossing the ball your way."

She brushes her hands against her skirt and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and tells him, "Yes that would have been much appreciated. You know that while I am a wonderful dancer who can easily master incredibly complex choreography routines, that I am unfortunately terribly coordinated when it comes to sports related activities. Now why did you want to see me?"

Finn has a blank look on his face as he tries to keep up with Rachel's fast way of talking and use of big words but when he realizes she stopped he just gives her a dopey grin and asks, "I was bored and Santana is busy with Cheerios practice so I figured we could hang out. You wanna shoot some hoops with me?"

"Finn," she starts slowly, "didn't I just basically say that I'm no good at sports? And besides, wouldn't you rather shoot hoops with someone else who is more talented and athletically inclined in this area than I am? I'm sure he'd love to hang out with you."

He just shakes his head and says firmly, "No way, Rachel. I'm not playing with him ever again."

She just sighs at the apparent stupidity of the boys in her life and how much they are really alike even if they don't want to acknowledge the others existence.

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><p>Later that night, she's lying on her bed trying her best to read the latest Janet Evanovich novel but her mind keeps wandering to the two most important guys in her life and trying to figure out a way for them to work past whatever their most recent problem is and be best friends again. There's only so much a girl can take of video games and having sports balls thrown at her face. She dreads the day that Finn asks her to toss a football around his backyard because she can't even think about touching something made out of pig skin.<p>

Sighing, she marks her spot in the book and puts it on her bedside table before turning out the lights, vowing to come up with something to fix this. Just as she's about to fall asleep her phone beeps twice and she sees that she has a text message from both Noah and Finn. Opening Noah's first she sees _CoD tomorrow? _And she promptly responds _You know how much I abhor violence, Noah._

Not holding out much hope that Finn's is going to be any better, Rachel opens her next message and reads and groans:

_Let's do football tomorrow_

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><p>She's finally had enough of the two of them behaving like petulant little five year olds and with the help of Finn's girlfriend, Santana, she manages to have the Latina bring her boyfriend to the mall food court while she brings Noah with her. When the guys see each other, Puck firmly plants his feet making Rachel jerk backwards a little as she was holding onto his hand. "What's he doing here?"<p>

"Come on, Noah. I just want you two to talk. You used to be best friends and now you hardly even look at each other let alone exchange words. Please just talk to him," she pleads. Rachel can hear Santana talking to Finn as they get closer and stand across from them and she hears things like _razors in my hair_ and _I'll take away your visitation rights to my fun box_ and she can't help but silently admit that she doesn't really understand how their couple dynamic works but that she's happy for them all the same. Staring at her mutinous looking boyfriend she just sighs and attempts one more time to get him to play nice. "Just try, Noah. I know you miss your best friend. I know you miss someone who enjoys violent video games just as much as you do and who actually can challenge you at them. Just please talk to him. Don't make me have to resort to drastic measures."

Puck snorts in derision. "Yeah right, Baby, like you could be threatening."

"Have it your way," she tells him as Santana grabs both of the guys' hands and holds on to them firmly as Rachel quickly snaps a pair of handcuffs around their wrists. "I tried to be nice about this but you both are being too stubborn to realize that a lifelong friendship is not worth wasting over whatever trivial thing is bothering the two of you right now. So, I won't be taking those handcuffs off until all of this is put behind us because quite frankly I'm tired of playing video games and I would rather die before I touched a football."

Both Puck and Finn are standing in a quiet shock as they listen to what the petite diva is telling them before she pats them both on the wrist and says, "Well you two have a lovely day. Santana and I are going to go shopping now. Victoria's Secret is having their semiannual sale and you know how I can't resist a good sale."

The guys watch as their girlfriends walk away with their pinkies linked as they're left standing handcuffed to one another in the food court. Suddenly Puck's cell phone vibrates in his pocket and he goes to reach for it but stops short when he realizes that it's in right pocket and that his right hand is currently attached to Finn's left. "Just keep your hand away from my junk," he bites out gruffly before getting his phone out and reading the text message from Rachel and groans as he reads:

_If you're a good boy, Noah, and work things out with Finn perhaps I'll let you use those handcuffs on me later._

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><p><strong>Photo:<strong> http : / www . shareapic . net / View-25513863- . html


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